1. A real estate transaction is complicated. In most cases, buying or selling a home requires disclosure forms, inspection reports, mortgage documents, insurance policies, deeds and multi-page government-mandated settlement statements. A knowledgeable guide can help you avoid delays or costly mistakes.
   
2. Selling or buying a home is time consuming. Homes in Memphis typically stay on the market for an average of 92 days. And it can take another 60 days or so for the transaction to close after an offer is accepted.
   
3. Real estate has its own language. If you don’t know a CMA from a PUD, you can understand why it’s important to work with someone who speaks that language.
   
4. REALTORS^® have done it before. Most people buy and sell only a few homes in a lifetime, usually with quite a few years in between each purchase. And even if you’ve done it before, laws and regulations change. That’s why having an expert on your side is critical.
   
5. REALTORS^® provide objectivity. Since a home often symbolizes family, rest and security, not just four walls and roof, home selling or buying is often a very emotional undertaking. And for most people, a home is the biggest purchase they’ll ever make. Having a concerned, but objective, third party helps you keep focused on both the business and emotional issues most important to you.
   
6. REALTORS^® are members of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, a trade organization of more than 1.2 million members nationwide, 22,000 in Tennessee, and 4,700 in the Memphis area. REALTORS® subscribe to a stringent Code of Ethics that helps guarantee the highest level of service and integrity.

Reprinted from REALTOR^® Magazine Online by permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS^® Copyright 2003. All rights reserved. www.REALTOR.org/realtormag